Category Archives: Bicycles

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police

Northumbria Police aim to Immobilise thieves and property crime

Northumbria Police BadgeNorthumbria Police are urging residents to safeguard their valuables and avoid being targeted by thieves.

Officers are holding free property logging sessions at the Newcastle Shopping Park in Byker on Tuesday, July 23, Wednesday, July 24 and Thursday, July 25, from 9am to 3pm daily.

People are invited to come along to the mobile police office in the car park and officers will register items for them on www.immobilise.com – The UK Nation Property Register. You don’t need to bring the items with you, just bring the details of them and an officer will open your account which you will be able to add to at any time.

It only takes a couple of minutes to use the site to record the make, model and serial numbers of property from mobiles, iPods, TVs and laptops to bicycles, jewellery, power tools and portable sat navs. The secure site can only be accessed by the registered user.

Police check any items they recover against the database; if it’s been registered they can easily identify the owner and return the property to them – even if it hasn’t been reported stolen.

It’s simple to use and residents can add more items to the site when they get home, to make sure all valuable property is recorded and kept up to date.

This is part of Northumbria Police’s volume crime campaign – Operation Soundwave – aimed at ‘turning up the volume on crime’ and silencing opportunist criminals during the summer months.

Neighbourhood Inspector Deborah Alderson, said:

By holding this crime prevention three-day event at the start of the school holidays we hope people will take advantage of the opportunity to get help security logging their property.

At this time of year we often see an increase in opportunist theft from homes and vehicles. To deter thieves security log your property on the crime prevention site then, if an item is stolen and subsequently recovered by police it can be reunited with its rightful owners.

We continue to do everything possible to trace the people involved in theft and burglaries in our communities and put them before the courts, but we are also asking residents to play their part by taking simple crime prevention measures.

I’d also encourage residents to report anything suspicious they see in their neighbourhood to police at the earliest opportunity so we can investigate.

If you can’t get along to the crime prevention event at Newcastle Shopping Park officers are encouraging residents to register their property themselves on a free crime prevention website – www.immobilise.com – and increase the chance of getting any stolen items returned.

For further crime prevention advice and the source article visit www.northumbria.police.uk

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Lost Property, Police

Police to reunite owners with lost and stolen bikes in Gloucester

bike-theft-415The Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard have reported that Police officers are hoping to get cyclists back on their bikes by reuniting owners with lost and stolen bicycles.

It is an opportunity for anyone who has had their bike stolen recently to come and view the ones that have been recovered at the Police station on Lansdown Road, Gloucester this Saturday, July 13 between 9am and 2pm.

Police Community Support Officer Kim Graham who organised the event said:

We run these viewings on a regular basis and often have some really good results. It is worth popping along as there is a chance you could get your stolen bicycle back.

Anyone wanting to attend must bring their crime letter with them. All those who have reported their bike stolen will have received a letter with a unique crime number on it. Officers will be offering security marking and crime prevention advice as well as encouraging cyclists to register their bikes on immobilise.

We’re also encouraging other cyclists to come along to the station with their bike and we’ll mark it for them and help show them how to register it – this will make it a lot easier for us to return it to you if it does get lots or is stolen

added PCSO Graham.

At www.immobilise.com you can create a free, private and secure portfolio of all of your personal property and adds the items to the National Mobile Property Register (NMPR).

If the bike, or registered item, is then lost or stolen the website can be used to tell the police, your insurer and the second-hand trade to assist in recovering your property and catch the thief.

For further information on NMPR or other crime reduction advice please visit the constabulary website at www.gloucestershire.police.uk and go to the Crime Reduction pages.

To read the source article go to: Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard

Bicycles, CheckMEND, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss

West Midlands Police sign up to Code of Practice to stop sale of stolen goods

West Midlands Police are one of the first forces in the country to fully embrace a new code of practice aimed at slamming the door in the face of thieves trying to sell stolen goods.

A Home Office Code of Practice encourages forces to get second hand stores signed up to a scheme where they check all items offered up for sale against the CheckMEND database which logs if goods have been recorded as lost or stolen.

The force have hundreds of stores such as Cash Converters, Cash Generator, Cex and other independent second hand stores signed up to the scheme and are launching it in style on 23 January with an Impact Activation Day.

On the day officers across the force will be at second hand stores, schools and shopping centres registering goods onto the immobilise database for free.

Each of the stores who have signed up check items offered for sale against the CheckMEND site. Each search generates a unique certificate number. This can be issued to a potential buyer to prove that at the time of purchase the item was not reported lost or stolen and no adverse information was recorded against it.

David Bursey from Byte size Solutions in Kings Heath, Birmingham said:

Now we can use CheckMEND we can buy items from people who come in off the street. We have been dubious about doing that in the past because we have not been able to trace the history of the item. This has opened up new possibilities in how we can conduct our business that is of real benefit to us and our customers.

DC Vanessa Lewis from Force CID who is heading up the project to get all West Midlands second hand stores signed up said:

Our officers have been passionate about getting stores signed up as one of the main ways we can stop the sale of stolen goods and ultimately deter burglars and thieves.

The more the public register their goods on immobilise, the more effective the system will be.

A YouTube video explaining how the system works is available below or at this link: http://youtu.be/LNx-5eoaXGA

For details of where officers will be across the force area on 23 January please read the full article available in this linked PDF: Full West Midlands Police Article

 

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, Police

Police urge residents to help immobilise thieves

Residents in East Lancashire are being advised to take a few simple crime prevention measures to avoid being targeted by thieves.

Officers are encouraging people to register their phones, gadgets and other expensive items on a property database, such as immobilise.com to deter thieves and increase the chances of getting any stolen items returned.

PCSO Alex Catterall said:

Valuables left near windows can prove tempting for criminals and unlocked doors and windows make it easier for them to come in and steal your possessions.

Keeping things out of sight and locking up when you go to bed or leave home can prevent your home being broken in to.

However, if you are targeted by criminals, listing your new phones, gadgets and other presents, including bikes, on a property register database, such as immobilise.com can greatly increase the chances of getting the items returned to you. This is a free service and only takes a few minutes of your time.

When we seize suspected stolen property we can use the database to try and reunite it with its original owner. Second hand shops can also use a sister site to check whether an item is stolen when it is offered to them.

To view the source article and for more crime prevention advice visit www.lancashire.police.uk .

Bicycles, Immobilise, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, Police, Report My Loss, Students

Police teach students how to deter thieves

Avon & Somerset Police are offering students advice on how to deter thieves this week as part of Operation Relentless, keeping you safe.

On Sunday September 16 2012 3,000 students arriving at the University of the West of England were given advice on keeping themselves and their property safe by university-based PC Matt Holloway.

For the rest of the week, PC Holloway will be giving students the chance to register their laptops, phones, bikes and other valuables on www.immobilise.com as part of Relentless, keeping you safe.

Neighbourhood Inspector Bob Evely said:

Registering your property for free on the immobilise website, along with marking it with your postcode, is known to deter thieves. They know that we will be able to prove the item has been stolen and identify the rightful owner. UWE students wanting help with registering their property can contact PC Holloway at the police post at the university. Of course nothing beats making sure you lock your doors and windows and never leaving your laptop or other valuables on display in your car.

Avon & Somerset Police also recommend installing security software on phones and computers which can help trace your property if it is stolen. For more security advice visit their website, www.avonandsomerset.police.uk

 

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Police, Report My Loss

Sheffield Police recommend Immobilise as cycle thefts continue to soar

Cycle theft in Sheffield is a growing problem according to recent report in the Star. It was reported that only 41 of the 1,595 bicycles stolen from Sheffield city centre in the last 10 years have ever been recovered by police. The number of bike thefts in the city has soared in the last decade, particularly around the railway station and the universities.

With the average stolen bike costing just under £400, that means cyclists in Sheffield have been saddled with a bill of £638,000.

Sgt Darren Nugent, from South Yorkshire Police’s city centre safer neighbourhood team, said:

Over the last couple of years bike theft has gone up and up.

We have caught two or three thieves who were out stealing bikes all the time, and taking those few out of the equation has definitely curbed bike theft.

Officers also have another weapon in their armoury – the tracker bike. The GPS-enabled bikes are locked at theft hotspots and left unguarded to tempt thieves. If stolen, the device alerts police by text and officers use Google Earth to pinpoint its location.

Sgt Nugent advised cyclists to spend at least 10 per cent of their bike’s value on a lock and said two locks were always better than one. He also urged bikers to register their property at Immobilise – the UK national property register.

The Immobilise Property Register is linked directly to Police systems helping to quickly identify the rightful owner of recovered property, for more information go to www.immobilise.com/about

To read the source article please go to: www.thestar.co.uk

 

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Lost Property, NMPR, Police

Bristol Police recommend registering bikes on Immobilise

Following string of bike thefts and a successful operation to catch the thieves responsible Bristol police have made several suggestions on how to avoid becoming a victime of bicycle related crime.

Police are urging people to always secure their bikes and to take with them any objects that can be removed.

Their advice includes:

  • Invest in quality locks. For a decent lock expect to spend a minimum of £40 or approximately 20% of the value of your bike;
  • Register your bike for free by visiting national property database Immobilise (www.immobilise.com). If the worst happens and your bike is stolen police can use the database to reunite you with your property;
  • Always lock your bike to an immovable object and don’t just lock the frame to the wheel;
  • Don’t lock your bike in the same place on a regular basis. It could be stolen to order;
  • Always use two different locks.

For more details please see the source article at: http://www.bristol247.com/

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Lost Property, Police, Report My Loss, Students

Oxford police in plea to register bicycles

The BBC has reported that Police in Oxford are urging residents to register their bikes so they can be traced if they are stolen.

According to the BBC between June and August, 837 bikes were taken in the city – a rise of 141 compared to the same period in 2010.

Sgt Matt Sulley from Oxford police station said bike theft was a huge problem and returning cycles to their owners was the biggest issue.

He said if cycles are registered at immobilise.com police can easily identify the original owners.

In Oxford, Thames Valley Police are currently holding hundreds of bikes.

Sgt Sulley said the large number of cycles in Oxford made thefts a particular problem.

He said that also the large portion of old-style houses in the city meant it was difficult for people to access gardens and sheds to properly secure their bikes.

He added:

There are also criminals making a business out of it. Lots of bikes are being stolen and then stripped for parts which makes them very difficult to trace.

We have also seen a number of very expensive bikes, worth thousands of pounds, locked up with cheap locks.

Between 5 and 25 September 2011 neighbourhood policing teams will be at key locations in Oxford advising people about ways to protect their property.

To read the source BBC story please visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-14760978

To visit Thames Valley Police go to: http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss

South Yorkshire Police advise – If you love it, log it!

South Yorkshire Police are advising people: ‘If you love it, log it’.

The recommendation, published on the South Yorkshire Police website says, Police are urging people to log their expensive property and any other precious belongings on immobilise.com – the world’s largest FREE register of ownership details.

In addition to acting as a major deterrent to criminals, the big difference with Immobilise is that as well as getting your stuff back if it’s lost or stolen, the system helps to catch the thieves as well!

The database is linked directly to police systems, so when officers recover any property, for whatever reason, they can check it against items logged on Immobilise. For example, if someone arrested on suspicion of drunk and disorderly has your stolen mobile phone in their pocket, police will also be able to link the theft to them as well – but only if it’s registered!

Any item can be registered on Immobilise. The easiest items to log are electricals, or anything that has a serial number, but you can even log jewellery or ornamental items using the photo upload and description functions.

You can register as many items as you like, and then if they are lost or stolen you simply log back on to register them as such. The police can check any property they recover, whether that’s when a person is brought into custody for any reason, property recovered from criminals in raids, or even during one of their now routine checks on second-hand dealers. And if they find anything that is listed as stolen, not only will you get your belongings back, but the thieves can be brought to justice.

We want to send a clear message to those potential thieves that anything logged on Immobilise is too hot to handle. As a member of the South Yorkshire public, by registering your property, and marking it as such, you are much less likely to become a victim of crime.

To read the source article please go to: www.southyorks.police.uk

 

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Lost Property, NMPR, Police

Police say don’t give cycle thieves easy ride – register on immobilise

York police are urging residents to ‘spoke up’ against cycle thieves.

Officers launched Operation Spoke in January 2010 as a deterrent to combat cycle theft and as a quick and easy way to reunite stolen bikes with their rightful owners.

Since the initiative began, almost 10,000 bikes have been security marked and registered with North Yorkshire Police and the national property register, Immobilise.

All cycle owners are being urged to sign up to the scheme, so that police can identify who stolen bikes belong to when they are recovered.

Officers are currently tying to trace the owners of a cycle which was targeted last month – who could have been easily traced if they had taken advantage of the free security marking offered by Operation Spoke.

At around 8pm on Friday 3 June 2011, police recovered a bike at the cycle racks near the Minster after someone had made an attempt to steal it.

The bike is in police possession but as yet the owner is unknown and police are urging anyone who believes it belongs to them to come forward.

If this is your bike contact North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 24 7, quoting reference number 12110090973.

Officers are also trying to trace the owner of a black or grey Cannondale Bad Boy hybrid cycle which was stolen from the cycle racks on Tanner’s Moat, outside The Maltings at around 1.40pm on Tuesday 28 June 2011.

A 17-year-old youth was arrested in connection with the theft, however officers need the owner of the bike to come forward and report it stolen.

If you believe this was your cycle, contact North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 24 7, quoting reference number 12110106413.

PC Fiona Wilding of York police, said:

Cycles are often a target for thieves and it is important that people take action to protect their property.

It is advisable to buy a good quality bike lock and if possible use two different styles of lock, as thieves are rarely equipped to break both.

Everyone should also consider having their bike ‘spoked’ to make it easier for the police to catch offenders and return your bike if it stolen.

Security tagging involves having a unique mark placed on the frame of your bike which can then be matched to key details stored on the police database such as make, model and frame number.

The process is simple, quick and free and can be done at the Bike Rescue Project under Lendal Bridge or at regular Operation Spoke events held throughout the city.

To view the source story go to: York Police